Olympic National Park Goat Hunt Group Anyone?

[sagemd]

"Right or wrong, The plan was never to manage the heard, the plan was to completely remove them from the ecosystem and its been that way for at least 20 years...."

Agreed.
A terrible thing.
And the park service should be but isn't ashamed.

[stlusn30-06]

"Right or wrong, The plan was never to manage the heard, the plan was to completely remove them from the ecosystem and its been that way for at least 20 years...."

Agreed.
A terrible thing.
And the park service should be but isn't ashamed.

I understand the sentiment here, but it would take an act of Congress to allow for hunting seasons to be opened in ONP. NPS officials, Bios, etc...would need to undertake a substantial lobbying effort to get the rules changed, all to allow for the hunting of a Non-Native deleterious species. I obviously would 100% support that effort, but am not surprised, nor do I hold it against them for not taking that route. The culling of animals through various methods, is (while maybe not our favorite) one of the management options utilized in the North American model. Foundational to the model, is science based wildlife management. Everyone agrees mistakes have been made over the past ~80years, but on the whole it has been a success. With that understanding I have to believe the decision to cull wasn't taken likely.

That and they will live on in the native North Cascades habitat many of them of have been, and will be relocated to. Hopefully boosting those populations will provide hunting opportunities in the future.

[sagemd]

I agree that this plan is the best answer to a very bad situation the park service as created.
Glad it is going down this way rather than shot from the air and leaving them to rot.
You can call it a cull. By definition a cull doesn't remove all animals.
An extermination does.

The park service already has the authority to have emergency hunts.
It doesn't take an act of congress.
They are doing it now. And could have done this long ago.
The fact is they could have used other creative methods to manage wildlife.
As they are doing now. Because of public outcry.
I suspect many are just antihunting, and allowed the problem to get large enough that it could not be handled by hunting.

But I'm glad there are allot of hunters willing to help the park service exterminate the goats!

[Falcon]

I agree that this plan is the best answer to a very bad situation the park service as created.
Glad it is going down this way rather than shot from the air and leaving them to rot.
You can call it a cull. By definition a cull doesn't remove all animals.
An extermination does.

The park service already has the authority to have emergency hunts.
It doesn't take an act of congress.
They are doing it now. And could have done this long ago.
The fact is they could have used other creative methods to manage wildlife.
As they are doing now. Because of public outcry.


I suspect many are just antihunting, and allowed the problem to get large enough that it could not be handled by hunting.

But I'm glad there are allot of hunters willing to help the park service exterminate the goats!
[/

I agree that this plan is the best answer to a very bad situation the park service as created.
Glad it is going down this way rather than shot from the air and leaving them to rot.
You can call it a cull. By definition a cull doesn't remove all animals.
An extermination does.

The park service already has the authority to have emergency hunts.
It doesn't take an act of congress.
They are doing it now. And could have done this long ago.
The fact is they could have used other creative methods to manage wildlife.
As they are doing now. Because of public outcry.
I suspect many are just antihunting, and allowed the problem to get large enough that it could not be handled by hunting.

But I'm glad there are allot of hunters willing to help the park service exterminate the goats!
 

I agree.  I was on the very first relocation project.   It was a very cool experience, and it would have been great to see all the goats moved, but deep down, I was pretty sure it would never see season 3 of the funded project.   It’s very expensive and truth be told, there were going to areas that were too extreme. 
This project isn’t perfect, but I think having hunters harvest the goats, realizing it more of a cull is better than having federal fish and wildlife sharp shooters kill them from helicopters and let em lay.   

[yakimanoob]

I did send Dr Happe a thank you, even though we were not selected.  It is the most impressed I've been with a government employee in a while.

Ditto

+1.  Bummed to not be selected, but I've been generally impressed with the program they put together.  From what I can tell, Dr Happe and her team have done an excellent job in a very contentious and complex situation. 

[Shawn Ryan]

I wish they would have made each group show up for a one day competition on all aspects of this hunt. Although I'm sure there were A LOT of super qualified teams, I will never believe there were 21 better qualified (Every Aspect) for this hunt that ours with the criteria given. 

I don't know you or your team, and your team might have been BOMB, but as for the individual competitors in said "one-day competition on all aspects of this hunt," I'd bet a whole lot of money on Michael Blanchard smoking everybody: Third place in Best Ranger Competition https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2016/04/17/nco-and-officer-duo-claims-title-of-best-ranger-2016/; beat in said competition by Robert Killian, Spartan OCR world champion, https://life.spartan.com/post/spartan-robert-killian; and killer of dead-of-winter mountain goats on Kodiak Is. And I'll guess he gets to put more shots down-range per week than most all of us, along with some of the world's best armors and trainers helping him shoot small.

Maybe I have a man-crush on a dude I've never met, but dang, he has credentials for that goat removal project. He might even wear a cape!

[MtnMuley]

I won't argue that, and I personally know there were several other groups with guys of the top caliber as well. It wasn't only the physical aspect of this hunt that was challenging, but the mental game would have played just as big of role too.

[BULLBLASTER]

I wish they would have made each group show up for a one day competition on all aspects of this hunt. Although I'm sure there were A LOT of super qualified teams, I will never believe there were 21 better qualified (Every Aspect) for this hunt that ours with the criteria given. 

I don't know you or your team, and your team might have been BOMB, but as for the individual competitors in said "one-day competition on all aspects of this hunt," I'd bet a whole lot of money on Michael Blanchard smoking everybody: Third place in Best Ranger Competition https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2016/04/17/nco-and-officer-duo-claims-title-of-best-ranger-2016/; beat in said competition by Robert Killian, Spartan OCR world champion, https://life.spartan.com/post/spartan-robert-killian; and killer of dead-of-winter mountain goats on Kodiak Is. And I'll guess he gets to put more shots down-range per week than most all of us, along with some of the world's best armors and trainers helping him shoot small.

Maybe I have a man-crush on a dude I've never met, but dang, he has credentials for that goat removal project. He might even wear a cape!

You gotta remember that michael B had a dude like me on his application to slow him down tho! 

[Karl Blanchard]

I mean, he's cool I guess. Doesn't matter how tough he is though because he still suffers from little brother complex which means if I come at him he folds into the fetal position.

[opdinkslayer]

  Careful Karl, little bro might have to whoop your azz someday just to prove he can!

[Shawn Ryan]

I mean, he's cool I guess. Doesn't matter how tough he is though because he still suffers from little brother complex which means if I come at him he folds into the fetal position.

As a little brother, I know the competitive drive to "best" my older brother.  My money is still on Michael.

[coachcw]

I mean, he's cool I guess. Doesn't matter how tough he is though because he still suffers from little brother complex which means if I come at him he folds into the fetal position.

As a little brother, I know the competitive drive to "best" my older brother.  My money is still on Michael.

It would be a good scrap , Karl better try and end it quick though.

[TriggerMike]

Without going back and reading 20 pages... has a single Hunt WA member been selected?

[stew pidasso]

Without going back and reading 20 pages... has a single Hunt WA member been selected?

Yes, around 3 or more.

[Bearhunter]

To bring this back to life....  I cant imagine that this hunt is even going to take place???  What are all of your thoughts?